Second-hand Tank -- what would you do?

[Richard Platts]

I recently acquired the following from my church rummage sale:

A 30-long tank (looks pretty sturdy I'm gonna fill it with water to check soon.)

A bunch of gravel that I'm gonna toss.

An Aquaclear 300
A Millenium (???)

A hood and lights

A bunch of silk plants.

A bunch of rocks and bogwood (I might toss out)

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How to best clean this up and make it usable?

Rich

 

[Peekaboo]

This is what I did, after reading around on the internet, with my used tank.

Tank--cleaned of hardwater stains with vinegar. then used bleach to clean it out using a hose and new rag. then filled with heavy declorinator (twice recommended amnt). then made sure it held water over night before setting it up.

Filter--rinsed it all out with tap water. bought new media. You could use bleach if you wanted just make sure you rinse very well with declorinator.

hood and lights--cleaned em up with a damp cloth using tap water

silk plants-- let them sit over night in a bucket of 10% bleach. then scrubbed them. then let them sit overnight in a bucket of declorinator and scrubbed them.

rocks and bogwood -- boiled them for a couple of hours on the stove

Most stuff bad for fish will die in the open air, so really cleaning with tap water is likely enough. But its always good to go the extra yard. Just make sure you use plenty of declorinator if you use bleach. It shouldn't be a problem if you aren't plunking fish in right away, anyhow--bleach breaks down quickly on its own, I heard.

 

[anonapersona]

Oxiclean over bleach

I prefer Oxiclean over bleach for the filter and plants, it rinses away better. If you do bleach the tank, rocks or wood, let it dry in the sun.

On crusty deposits I start with coarse salt to scrub, then go to vinegar, then razor blades, then CLR.

On filters I clean with tap water, then Oxiclean if more help is necessary.

I prefer potassium premanganate to bleach, it is easier to get rid of, but if you use bleach dechlorinate then air dry in the sun.

 

[Peekaboo]

Nobody ever told me you could use CLR! **** that would have been better than just vinegar! My used acrylic tank was a *****.